CRAIG IRVIN
BARITONE
BIOGRAPHY
Craig Irvin brings a vibrant sound and commitment to character to a wide variety of repertoire. Opera News has praised his “rich, resonant baritone” while the Dallas Morning News has noted his “truly commanding baritone.” Last season, Mr. Irvin made his role début as Jochanaan in Salome with Madison Opera, made his role début as Older Thompson in Glory Denied with Knoxville Opera and Permian Basin Opera, returned to The Atlanta Opera as Maximillian in Candide, sang The Wolf/Cinderella’s Prince in Into the Woods with Tulsa Opera, and bowed with New West Symphony in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. This season, he returns to The Atlanta in his role début as Jack Torrance in The Shining, Madison Opera as Scarpia in Tosca, and reprises his Older Thompson in Glory Denied with Annapolis Opera and his Pirate King in The Pirate of Penzance with Kentucky Opera.
In recent seasons, he reprised of one of his signature roles - The Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance at both Atlanta Opera and Utah Symphony and Opera. Additionally, he joined Orchestra Iowa for Handel’s Messiah and the Cincinnati May Festival for Candide. [read more...]
CRITICAL ACCLAIM
"... rings into the hall like a clarion call…” – The Cap Times
Salome – “Sparks fly between Majeski and the impressive baritone Craig Irvin as Jochanaan, aka John the Baptist. Irvin’s voice bounces off the “cistern” below stage where the prophet is being kept, and rings into the hall like a clarion call. Prepare ye, indeed."
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"... a beautiful edge of lyricism…” – Arts Knoxville
Glory Denied – “Irvin’s character has been burnished vocally, displayed here by Irvin with a golden richness carefully twisted by powerful pangs of angst and disappointment. . . An aria from the older Thompson listing his irritations with the cultural changes in American life, was not just melodic, but strangely comic at a moment that was anything but light-hearted. . . Irvin sang it with a beautiful edge of lyricism.”
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"... superbly cast..." – Opera News
Elektra – “Baritone Craig Irvin. . . was superbly cast as Orest, Elektra's long-lost brother. Orest gets one scene, but what a scene—Irvin and Hogrefe were mesmerizing and entirely convincing as they slowly recognized each other and embraced this moment that both have been awaiting."
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"... vocal and emotional power..." – Opera Omaha
Faust – “Craig Irvin, whose Valentin evinced a soldier’s strength and assuredness throughout. The vocal and emotional power of Irvin’s death scene in Act IV was wall-shaking.”
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"... his singing was robust and virile..." – Seen and Heard International
Dinner at Eight – “Craig Irvin’s Dan Packard was a highly driven, unsentimental career animal and his singing was robust and virile.”